Qunaya:Christian schools in Syria are resuming their educational roles after years of disruption due to the war, as families displaced by the conflict begin returning to their hometowns. This follows the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, bringing hope for a renewed focus on education.

According to Anadolu Agency, some of the schools had been seized by the former regime or repurposed as shelters for those displaced by bombings and security crackdowns. With the return of Christian families to their communities, children are re-enrolling in schools, resuming their education after years of interruption.

Father Lucas Bashrafa, a priest in Qunaya village in the Idlib countryside, noted the reopening of a village school belonging to the Franciscan friars. After extensive renovations, the school is ready to resume its educational duties. Previously seized by the Baath Party in 1971, the building was used as a shelter during the war but is now set to become a center for promoting peaceful coexistence.

The Christian villages in Idlib, including Qunaya, experienced significant displacement during the war, which began in 2011. Before the conflict, these villages were home to about 20,000 people, but intense bombardment forced many to flee, leaving only around 500 Christians remaining.

Hanna Jalf, a student from Qunaya, shared her experience of fleeing to Hama and later returning after the regime's fall. She has resumed her education and encouraged other displaced families to return. The Syrian government is also working to rehabilitate Christian schools nationwide, with recent reopenings like the Holy Land School in the Jisr al-Shughur area.

As part of broader efforts to restore Syria's educational infrastructure, the reopening of schools in Idlib province marks a significant step. The regime of Bashar al-Assad was overthrown on December 8, 2024, by opposition forces, ending his rule and paving the way for rebuilding the nation's educational framework.